1 April 2013 Our Lord’s Resurrection: The basis of our Faith The glorious resurrection of the Lord is the key to interpreting his whole life, and the ground of our faith. Without this victory over death, all our preaching would be useless and our faith in vain. (Cf 1 Cor 15:14-7) Furthermore, the guarantee of our future resurrection is secured upon the resurrection of Christ, because although we were dead through sin, merciful God, his love moved by infinite compassion, gave us Christ ... and he raised us with him. (Cf Eph 2:4-6) Easter is the celebration of our Redemption; of thanksgiving and joy. The Resurrection of the Lord is a central reality of the Catholic faith, and has been preached as such since the beginning of Christianity. The importance of this miracle is so great that the Apostles are, above all else, witnesses of Jesus’ Resurrection. (Cf Acts 1:22; 2:32; 3:15) Each year on this holy day St Thomas Aquinas counselled his hearers not to fail to congratulate the Blessed Virgin on the Resurrection of her Son. (Fr JFP, “Life and Mercies of Our Lady, according to St Thomas Aquinas”) That is exactly what we do, beginning today, by reciting the ‘Regina Cœli’ in lieu of the ‘Angelus’ during Eastertide. “Queen of Heaven, Rejoice. Alleluia! ...” Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:291-2, 298 Christ, Son of the Living God We are here, we, your Church: the Body from your Body and from your Blood. We are here, we are keeping watch. We are by your sepulchre. We keep watch. We remain awake, so as to be before those women who “at dawn will come to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared” (Cf Lk 24:1) to anoint your body, in the tomb since the evening of the day before. We keep watch in order to be near your tomb, before Peter, summoned by the words of the three women, comes too; before Peter sees only the wrappings ... We wish to be before the women and the Apostles ... We wish to be with you, we, your Church, the body from your body and from your blood shed on the Cross. We are your Body, we are your People. We are many. We gather in many parts of the world. ... We are all united by the faith, born of your Easter, of your passage through death to new Life, the faith born of your Resurrection. Ref: Cf Pope John Paul II, “Prayers and Devotions”, 1994, p158 Our Lady — “Mary, teacher of prayer. See how she asks her Son at Cana. And how she insists, confidently, perseveringly ... And how she succeeds. “Learn.” Ref: St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 502 Concrete and deliberate resolutions ‘Do whatever he tells you’ are words of the Virgin Mary and a permanent invitation to carry out the resolutions that Our Lord suggests to us each day in our personal prayer. These resolutions should be well-thought out in order to be effective, so that they are realized or, at least become the sincere effort to achieve them. Often such resolutions will involve little things that will help us to improve in our work, in our dealings with others; in trying to develop our awareness of the presence of God that day while we drive through traffic, in the streets; wherever we find ourselves in the midst of our family, at recreation or the supermarket. The end of our journey is God. We want to be on a sure course towards him, without drift or delays, with our whole will. Our first mission is to learn to listen, to recognize the divine voice that makes itself heard amidst the din in our lives. Our daily resolutions will lead us to sanctity if we do not give up our honest battle. We can go to Our Lord through Our Lady, perhaps by saying more aspirations, by saying the Rosary better, by taking the time to contemplate each mystery briefly, but with more love. We ask her for a greater dedication in putting into practice resolutions drawn from prayer and advice received in spiritual direction. Ref: Cf Francis Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 3:338-9 Antiphon “O HOLY MARY, Virgin of virgins, Mother and daughter of the King of kings! bestow upon us thy consolation, that through thee we may deserve the reward of the heavenly kingdom, and reign with the elect of God unto all eternity.” (Very Rev Charles J Callan, OP, STM and Very Rev John A McHugh, OP, STM, “Blessed Be God”, 1925, p425) • Octave of the Annunciation of Our Lady (in the Carmelite order). — Balingham on Calend. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com); maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html • Octave of the Annunciation. List of groups which celebrate this octave. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm • Polish king Jan Casimir proclaims Mary the Patroness and Queen of Poland. 1656. The proclamation is in recognition of the defeat of the Swedish siege of Jasna Góra; the Polish victory at the “fortress of Mary” was attributed to her miraculous intercession. (For more, see Mark Wegierski, “Letter from Poland,” Chronicles, December 2005.) Treated at length in “The Deluge”, by the Nobel Prize-winning Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz. “Appello di Giovanni Paolo II alla Madonna di Jasna Gora, June 19, 1983.” On April 1, 2005, a letter from Pope John Paul II was delivered to the Jasna Góra prior; the Pope also sent new “crowns” for the icon. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of Tears. Syracuse, Italy. Statue which wept August 29 to September 1, 1953. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of Tears, Sicily (1953). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)